Pollution Circus, Destroy Authority Before Authority Destroys You (1990)

By SoDak

While the war on Earth and life in general is a constant part of capitalist development, the scope, scale, and intensity of this assault has been increasing through the decades, especially in the absence of strong social movements that create opportunities for change. These tendencies are being further amped up, under the fascist Trump, who on December 4, 2017, will likely announce that established protections for many national monuments are being erased and the size of these monuments will be drastically reduced, opening up the land in the southwestern part of the United States for an array of extractive industries. The ongoing expansion of national sacrifice zones to maintain profits is maddening and depressing, to say the least.

In the 1980s, punk rock helped deal with anger and similar frustrations, given the downward spiral associated with Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. It was refreshing sing along to songs filled with love and rage—ones that encouraged direct action against oppressive forces. One of the bands that meant a great deal to me is Pollution Circus, an anarcho-punk band from Sacramento, California. My friend Craig introduced me to them, giving me a cassette that contained demo tapes by the band. These late 1980s recordings were very raw, loose, and beautiful. The guitars had very little to no distortion, depending on the song. The vocals were rough, moving between singing and yelling. The lyrics addressed such issues as animal rights, environmental degradation, revolutionary direct action, class exploitation, etc. While Pollution Circus did not sound like other bands in the genre, given their electric-folk sound, they were punk rock, in all of its beauty. For a couple years, I exchanged letters with Todd, the main force behind the band. We exchanged thoughts regarding the struggles we confronted and encouraged each other to keep fighting for a better world.

Unfortunately, most of the songs on the Pollution Circus demo tapes have never been released in another format. The band only put out a single seven-inch record and a few songs on compilation records. As a result, the cassette tape of their demos remains a prized item in my music collection. In 1990, Pollution Circus released Destroy Authority Before Authority Destroys You, which includes four songs: “Destroy What Destroys You,” “I Wonder,” “Values,” and “Scut’s Song.” Each song is moving and still hits me in the heart.

The opening song, “Destroy What Destroys You,” is very energetic, in comparison to most of what they recorded. The guitar has an almost toy-like sound, but it still manages to build tension. The drums and bass provide a cool beat, just before Todd yells “don’t be afraid,” as the opening words to the song, encouraging confrontation with the system. His vocals capture a controlled frenzy, as he spits out his objection to the dehumanizing conditions of society. As silly as it sounds, this song makes me want to jump around, given that this low-fi song is catchy. As I listen to it, I am ecstatically happy to hear such words vocalized on a record. I sing along, wanting to do my part to bring down the capital system.

“I Wonder” and “Values” have always been two of my favorite Pollution Circus songs. The former is a slow song with a dreamy, drifting guitar line, which complements the contemplative lyrics, drawing out tensions and connections.

Sometimes I wonder what we’re all doing,

and how it all affects me and you.

Sometimes I wonder just what’s gone wrong,

and how we’ll ever get through.

Sometimes I wonder how we can survive,

while so many fight to just stay alive.

Sometimes I wonder when I look at the sky,

how and why we don’t just curl up and die.

Sometimes I can’t help but sit back and cry,

and wonder if it’s even worth a try.

To love we must survive; to survive we must fight.

We’ve all got to learn to fight our oppressions,

keep our freedoms in our sights.

I always appreciated how Todd’s lyrics were political, while also being honest, vulnerable, and personal. Latter, he explicitly addresses the class divisions within our society, whereby daily life is organized “for the privilege of a few, who control this planet and just what we will do.” While he advocates for direct action, we recognizes the potential consequences:

Sometimes I wonder just what we will do,

when the authorities come looking for me and you,

to persecute us for what we’re willing to do.

Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever break through

all the shit’s that built up between me and you.

Sometimes I wonder just what we will do.

As the song meanders toward the end, I am left wondering if we will dare to organize and engage in the necessary actions to make a better world possible.

“Values” is a song capturing some of the spirit of Earth First! in the 1980s; it is a defense of wilderness and a critique of capitalism. The progression of the lyrics in this song always gave me chills:

A redwood tree, a whale, and you and me,

we’re not that different, don’t you see?

We’re all money in corporate eyes,

and none will be free, while the government survives.           

            Why don’t they all just die?

            Five hundred thousand dollars, that’s what they see,

            when they see a whale swim in the sea.

All they see is the money they make,

There’s no respect for the life that they take—

only profits that they make.

            Five hundred thousand dollars, that’s what they see,

when they see all of the redwood trees,

all cut up and all cut down,

to make more money….

What is the value that they see,

when they look at you and me?

Does it come from our slavery in a factory job,

sucking up to some corporate slob?

A redwood tree, a whale, and you and me,

we’re not that different, don’t you see?

We’re all money in corporate eyes,

and none will be free, while the government survives.           

            We got to help to make them die.       

           

The whales and the trees are fucked you see,

because they can’t act against their misery.

So I guess it’s up to you and me,

to do what we can do to set all free….

Todd is clear that the logic of capital is solely focused on accumulating ever-more wealth for the elite at the expense of exploiting human beings and destroying the planet. But the fight is not over, he pleads, “Everybody please fight back, we’ve got to counter their attack.”

“Scut’s Song” is a simple electric-folk song that also includes a twisted ska guitar part. The song celebrates love and beauty. The Pollution Circus song, “Question of Violence,” on the 400 Day Headache compilation, addresses issues associated with pacifism, direct action, and confrontation with oppressive conditions. It separated Pollution Circus from aspects of the peace punx movement—via a catchy, ska-influenced punk rock song that fortunately sounds nothing like what NOFX would do. Lacking access to the Pollution Circus demos, it is also worth tracking down two additional compilations—In the Spirit of Total Resistance: A Benefit for the Mohawk Nation of Kanesatake and Earth Rapers and Hell Raisers (a double seven-inch record that was a benefit compilation for Earth First!)—in order to hear two additional songs by them.

I still find inspiration in Pollution Circus songs, especially on the eve of President Shitbag Trump opening up more land to be plundered for profit. At a rally in opposition to this anticipated announcement, I crossed paths with members of the Infidel Cowboys, a strange, twisted band from Wyoming. We briefly discussed our love for Pollution Circus, given their unique sound and their refreshingly direct and passionate lyrics. The Infidel Cowboys shared with me some lyrics, they had been working on: “Trump, cut your own throat, not Bear’s Ears. This is the only monumental sacrifice we will accept.” Hopefully, we can organize for the ongoing fight against the reactionary forces and the capital system.